Former University of Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna accepted a plea deal on Wednesday following his November arrest on two counts of distribution of child exploitation material and three counts of possession of child pornography.
Kitna pleaded no contest to two counts of disorderly conduct and had the five felony child pornography charges dismissed.
Florida Gators quarterback Jalen Kitna (11) during the game between the Eastern Washington Eagles and the Florida Gators on October 2, 2022 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field in Gainesville, Fl. (David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The counts were second-degree misdemeanors.
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“I want to start off by apologizing to my family, my friends and those that care about me,” Kitna said. “Their support through this whole ordeal has meant a lot to me. The hardest thing about this whole process has been seeing how it’s affected them.
“The valuable lessons that I’ve learned through this whole deal have been very helpful. I’m looking forward to applying those things and moving forward.”
Kitna was given six months probation for each count.
Kitna, the son of former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, was arrested on Nov. 30, 2022.
Jalen Kitna #11 of the Florida Gators throws a pass during the second half of a game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 12, 2022 in Gainesville, Florida. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
The investigation began in June when police received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that images of child pornography were being shared online via Discord, an instant messaging social platform.
The investigation led to Kitna, who remembered sharing two images but believed them to be “legal” since he found them online.
The two images were of a pubescent girl, with both images having the phrase “so young junior” written on them.
Florida Gators quarterback Jalen Kitna (11) lines up for a play during the game between the Florida Gators and the Florida State Seminoles on November 25, 2022 at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fl. (David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
A search of Kitna’s phone found three additional photos of two nude pubescent girls in the shower, which had been saved to Kitna’s phone a year earlier.
“What we’ve got here today is a result that’s fair, and the right result,” Kitna’s attorney, Ron Kozlowski told the Orlando Sentinel following the verdict. “Obviously the state agrees, and we feel good about that. This is going give Jalen an opportunity to move on to the next step, whatever that is.”
Kitma was dismissed from the Florida football team days after the arrest.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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